Companies from every industry constantly search for new ways to reach, engage, and convert their customers. Often, this means experimenting with a range of different marketing styles to bring messages to prospects across a variety of environments and channels.
Out of Home (OOH) advertising isn’t an entirely new concept for most businesses. It involves using a variety of public spaces for promotional spaces. In other words, instead of trying to reach customers in their homes through digital messages and TV ads, companies look for ways to engage their audience when they’re out in the world.
For years, businesses have invested in signposting, billboards, and even branded vehicles to expand their reach. However, in today’s world of evolving XR, there could be new opportunities in the OOH space. Let’s take a closer look.
What is OOH Advertising? An Introduction
Out of Home advertising is essentially any form of marketing audience members can encounter when they’re outside of their homes. This type of marketing expands the reach of companies by allowing them to target prospects when they’re out for a stroll, shopping, driving to work, or exploring the world. Most people will be familiar with traditional forms of OOH advertising.
Anyone who has ever seen a billboard on their commute, a kiosk in an airport, or signage and posters placed on public transportation or in shopping centres has been exposed to OOH advertising. Of course, as the digital world has evolved, the opportunities for OOH advertising have grown.
Today, companies can use digital signage to showcase videos and animated messages to potential customers wherever they are. The rise of XR has also led to the implementation of AR content into OOH advertising experiences. For instance, using WebAR solutions, businesses can allow consumers to scan a QR code on a sign to access more information, interact with virtual avatars, and experience virtual content like never before.
The Impact of XR on OOH Advertising
For marketing teams and growing brands, extended reality can be a powerful tool for taking promotional initiatives to the next level. Many organizations have already begun investing in XR solutions to make their digital ads more engaging. Companies can promote products in virtual reality and allow users to test them in real-time demos. AR apps allow people to view products in full-size from within the comfort of their own homes.
In the OOH landscape, XR delivers an opportunity to turn static billboards, posters, and signage into experiential events for consumers. For instance, as a case study from Geenee shows, the Osmo brand used WebAR technologies to create bus shelter and billboard ads with AR components. All users needed to do was scan the signage with their phones to access dynamic, three-dimensional content.
With AR components built into OOH experiences, companies can gamify their promotional experiences, engage their audiences, and deliver more information in a smaller space. AR-enhanced OOH could be the future of modern advertising.
